The present invention relates to message processing in a network of interconnected computers and other electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for moving messages among the interconnected computers based on the transactions to be performed.
It is often necessary in various commercial enterprises to route messages among interconnected computers. For example, an enterprise resources planning (ERP) system installed in a production facility may need to communicate with computers used to control production equipment on the plant floor. Frequently, however, these various computers will have disparate operating systems and communication protocols.
One common approach to allow communication between disparate computers in a common enterprise utilizes a centralized, content-based routing software engine. Content-based routing uses the content of a particular piece of information to determine where it needs to be sent. A series of pre-programmed adapters may be provided by the software vendor to help integrate the routing engine to various environments.
It is not unusual for a content-based routing engine to require a large amount of custom programming in order to operate in a particular situation. For example, significant custom programming will be required if the individual implementations of the environment have been significantly customized beyond that which the adapters are programmed to expect. Moreover, an extensive amount of programming may be required for implementation and maintenance in an environment of constantly changing interfaces and application logic found in the world of manufacturing plant automation and B2B trading partners.